COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Drawn from one of our oldest recipes, Smitten Ale began as part of a series of rye beers at our Eccentric Café. The combination of sharp citrus & resinous flavors from the hops with the earthy, rustic overtones of the rye malt contribution yield an interesting take on the American Pale Ale.

Cloudy, golden pour with thin, white foam. Lots of rye in the nose with resiny hops following. Some fruit / floral notes appear after a moment. The taste is strongly hoppy on the piney end. There is some good spicy notes but this is a hoppy beer. Light to medium body and fizz.

16 oz can packaged at the end of 1/2017.
Aroma: Resiny, floral, mango and tropical fruit combines with spicy notes. A little bready. Faint oxidation is detected after a few sips.
Pours into IPA glass deep golden color with a 1" frothy off-white head with good retention. some lacing was observed. just about perfect clarity.
Taste: light malty/bready flavors with pronounced spiciness (from rye) and significant earthy hop bitterness (well past PA levels...)
Palate: body is medium light to medium with moderate carbonation. texture is somewhere between oily and creamy and subdued astringency makes a late appearance. Finishes long and dry with a persistent bitterness.
Overall: Normally one of my favorite Rye IPA (that’s what it is, really) but this one is showing slight signs of oxidation about a month before the stated shelf life (on the can)

Very good nose of light citrus (orange, with a touch of lemon) over a slightly bready base. Rye is present but not pronounced. Very light floral hop presence.

Medium bodied with a smooth texture that has some oily aspects. The carbonation / body balance is quite outstanding. The middle provides a nice effervescent burst while the finish delivers a finely bubbled ride.

The flavor profile is very good but lacks the complexity necessary for outstanding status. It begins with touch of rye then flows to a subtly sweet middle where orange takes over. Mid palate sweetness is bready more than biscuit. Bitterness rises from the middle on and achieves a mild status. Spruce is the dominate bitterness sensation with pine and zest being mere hints. Rye spiciness gives the bitterness its primary characteristic by shifting the pine and zest into spruce. A true rye flavor never develops. The finish is a slow slightly sweet and bitter fade with orange making another appearance.

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